Ashley Greene on Her First 10K and Secrets from the Twilight Set

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From competing in martial arts to playing blood-sucking (and butt-kicking) Alice Cullen in the Twilight series, Ashley Greene has always stayed in fighting shape. And somewhere in between filming for the highly anticipated film Wish I Was Here, she's been training for the Oakley New York Mini 10K tomorrow. We caught up with the star for the scoop on her favorite workouts, the toughest part about training for a race, and which of her Twilight costars would win in a squat competition.

Shape: Have you been active your whole life?Ashley Greene (AG): My brother and I were a year and a half apart and super close, which was why I was so tomboyish and athletic—I wanted to be like him! We grew up on a dirt road [in Jacksonville, FL], so we were always outside climbing trees and running around. When he got into martial arts, I did too and really loved it. I also did competitive cheer and dance, swim team, dive team, and played volleyball for a year. And I surfed and played watersports. I tested everything out. Being active was ingrained in my DNA from my family. We had an hour of TV a day, and the rest of the time we had to go outside and entertain ourselves.

Shape: How did you get in such great shape to play Alice Cullen?AG: For me, it’s always a variety. I get bored easily doing the same repetitive things. We did circuit training at a gym while filming Twilight. We formed friendly competitions between the girls—who could do the most squats, or who could run the quickest mile. It put us in great shape and in a great place mentally.

Shape: Who would win?AG: We ended up having different winners in different areas. I think I ran the fastest mile, but Nikki Reed did the most squats. [Tweet this!]

Shape: Which three foods you always keep in your kitchen?AG: I always have fresh chicken—I would say fish, but it’s hard to cook!—some type of nuts, like almonds or cashews, and a medley of vegetables. If you fill your plate with veggies like asparagus or yams.

Shape: Are there any guilty pleasures you can't live without?AG: When I want something sweet, I love Zico Chocolate Coconut Water—it’s an awesome substitute to quench your thirst and sweet tooth without being really bad for you. I also always have dark chocolate. My vices are usually salty though—I’m more of a savory than sweet person. I always have pickles in my refrigerator, which are not the best thing before a photoshoot because of the sodium. And Cheez-Its are very rarely in my house because I know I’ll eat the entire box!

Shape: As a Florida girl, what are your top beauty secrets for the summer?AG: Absolutely sunscreen. I always keep a bottle in my car—you don't even realize how much sun you get just from driving around. And of course, water, water, water—it really does wonderful things to your body and your skin.

Shape: This weekend, you're running the Oakley New York Mini 10K in Central Park. What was the hardest part of training for it?AG: I’m not really a runner, so I’ve been running outside on a track and on a treadmill, and doing workouts to strengthen my hips, glutes, balance and overall core. I think learning how to re-program my body has been difficult. My knees would always start to hurt when I’d start running, so I had to learn how to start using my glutes more. I’ve never run a 10K before, so we’ll see how it goes! For me, it’s more about the experience and the camaraderie with women.